4 Important Things Blogging Has Taught Me About Myself

You know what? I’ve written a lot of posts about blogging. Everything including my biggest blogging dilemma, that time I was featured in my college’s magazine {SO proud of that one}, and my list of blogging tips that you thought you knew. Sprinkling in posts about the industry here was a no brainer – especially since some of you are bloggers yourself or are interested in starting a blog.  

One post related to blogging that I’ve had on my “posts to write someday list” was this one. I’m getting kind of personal today, as I share the things that blogging has taught me about myself. It’s going to be a pretty lengthy post, so grab a cup of coffee {or a glass of wine} and let’s dive into this, shall we?

Photo via Glossy Cocktail

1. I have a love/hate relationship with networking events

One of the first things that I started realizing about myself through blogging is that I have a love/hate relationship with networking events. I guess this is strange since I just spent a weekend networking with bloggers at The Blog Connect conference, but hear me out.

Let’s talk about what I love. I absolutely LOVE The Blog Connect. If I hated it last year, I wouldn’t have gone this year. It’s plain and simple. The conference rocks because the ladies who coordinate the whole thing are extremely down to earth and passionate about cultivating a solid community. Everyone who attends the conference is friendly, openminded and eager to learn. In the two years that I’ve attended the conference, I’ve never noticed any gossiping or cattiness, and that’s saying a lot since it’s generally a room filled with women {and a few guys!}. 

But unfortunately, that’s not the case with all networking events. 

Now here comes the hate part of this relationship. I’ve been to a few blogger meet-ups where everything just felt so forced. The attendees were so self-centered and only wanted to talk about themselves. They didn’t ask other bloggers about their sites, and all they did was brag about their own accomplishments.

I’ve also been to a few events where it was filled with schmoozers – bloggers who are literally ready to latch on to the next big blogger who walks through the door. You’ll be having a conversation with someone and two minutes later, she’s chasing down someone else. The next best thing. I hate these types of people. I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather be someone who has in-depth, authentic convos with 4-5 new blogger friends, than making sure I schmooze with everyone in the room. 

2. I value myself, my blog and my time

It took me years, but I’ve learned to value myself, my blog, and most importantly… my time. Along with this was the notion to stop working for free. Next week, I’m doing a whole post about this topic, so for now I’ll be brief {and try not to get worked up}.

I’ve found that most brands who say they don’t have a budget for partnerships will never value bloggers for their work. They can tell you that they can offer “exposure” or that they want to “do a test post first.” Either way it’s bullshit. These companies never come around to paying bloggers for their hard earned work.  They’ll take what they can get for free. I’ve heard bloggers ask brand reps, “Do you work for free to help pitch this product? No? Well, I don’t work for free either.” It’s a bit bold and maybe harsh, but sometimes it needs to be said. 

Think of it this way. If you waste your time working for free on a brand partnership that is clearly not mutually beneficial, you won’t have time to start cultivating those relationships with brands who DO value bloggers. Ok, end rant. More on this topic next week. 

3. I work best under pressure 

A personality trait that I learned about myself is that I work best under pressure. Every blogger is going to have a different process for creating their content, but this is what works for me. I create a calendar with post ideas at the beginning of each month. Then, I shoot/edit photos and make bullet points for each post usually a week in advance. Surprisingly though, I typically write the actual content the day before it goes live or even the day it goes live. Yes, that means I wake up at 5:30am so I can finish before heading to my f/t gig. But, I get shit done when I’m on a tight deadline. Give me two weeks and I’ll wait until the last minute. It’s just the way I roll. TIP: give me a soy chai latte from Starbucks and I’ll churn out content like nobody’s biz. 

4. I can always be better

After meeting so many conceited bloggers at shitty networking events {read #1 above}, I’ve learned that it’s SO important to be humble. Of course, you have to be your own biggest cheerleader, but no one likes a know-it-all. I’m a veteran blogger and there’s so many things that I learn every day {sometimes from other bloggers!}, because the industry is constantly changing. And that’s fine, because it helps me evolve. I’ve made tons of mistakes along the way, but each mistake taught me so much about what I’d do differently next time. 

I can’t stress this enough. You’ve got to be willing to adjust to change and be the best version of yourself. If you’re complacent, you’re doing something wrong. If you’re not challenging yourself to step outside of the box, you’re doing yourself and your readers a HUGE disservice. 

// Alright, folks. You’ve made it through the end of this long post. I hope you have a fantastic Friday. Be sure to follow along on Instastories over the weekend. I’ve got nothing planned, but sometimes those weekends end up being the best and most random! xo, Nicole